- PTDF partnered with Usmanu Danfodio University to train 30 top scholars in Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry.
- The workshop strengthens research-industry linkages and positions Nigerian scholars to lead in global petroleum technology and sustainable energy solutions.
The Petroleum Technology Development Fund (PTDF) has partnered with Usmanu Danfodio University (UDUS), Sokoto, to train a select group of scholars in one of the world’s most advanced oil and gas analytical technologies.
The three-day workshop, focused on Gas Chromatography–Mass Spectrometry (GC–MS), aims to equip researchers with skills to modernise petroleum operations, reduce environmental risks, and enhance Nigeria’s technological capacity amid the global energy transition. Only 30 scholars were chosen from 260 applicants, reflecting the programme’s competitiveness.
PTDF’s General Manager of Research and Innovation, Olayinka Agboola, was represented by Dr Neeka Jacob, who stated that the initiative is part of a broader effort to transform Nigeria’s energy research ecosystem into an innovation hub capable of producing commercially viable technologies. “These technologies must leave the laboratory and enter the marketplace to create jobs, strengthen the economy and improve lives,” he said.
Meanwhile, Nuruhuda Darma, Head of Legal and Secretariat Services at PTDF, described the collaboration as a turning point in linking universities, industry, and government, noting that over 65% of global petroleum laboratories rely on GC–MS. Nigeria’s oil and gas analytical services market is growing at a rate of 6–8% annually, driven by environmental monitoring and downstream optimisation.
Furthermore, Prof. Aminu Bayawa, the PTDF Professorial Chair in Petroleum Chemistry at UDUS, stated that the training enables scholars to conduct high-quality research that reduces risks and improves productivity. Participants, drawn from 22 institutions nationwide, engaged in hands-on sessions under the theme “Mastering GC–MS for the Oil Industry: From Theory to Practical Applications.”
In addition, Prof. Abdullahi Tsafe, representing the Vice-Chancellor, Dean of Physical and Environmental Sciences, stated that PTDF’s intervention is reshaping the university’s research culture and positioning UDUS as a centre for high-impact petroleum research in Africa.
According to its website, PTDF is Nigeria’s lead agency for building indigenous capacity in the oil and gas sector, funding research, scholarships, and institutional development, including the endowment of professorial chairs and the organisation of annual research grant competitions.